"Reincarnation--Very Risky"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25
Vrndavana, October 5, 1974

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Nitai: "I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths."

Prabhupada:

vipadah santu tah sasvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darsanam yat syad
apunar bhava-darsanam

So the people do not know this philosophy: apunar bhava-darsanam. Punar bhava... Bhutva bhutva praliyate. The rascals, they cannot understand that what is our real difficulty or suffering. Mudha. Therefore the mudhas, they do not know it, that what is our actual suffering.

We understand from Bhagavad-gita, na jayate na mriyate, that "This living entity is never born, never dies." This information we get, very simple information. We are taking information from whom? Krsna, jagad-guru, the supreme guru, the original guru. Guru means Krsna's representative. A guru cannot be manufactured. Guru means... Krsna is jagad-guru, and one who speaks on behalf of Krsna or one who speaks as Krsna says, he is guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya guru hana: "You just become guru on My order." You cannot become guru automatically without following the order of jagad-guru. The government servant... Who is government servant? Who is strictly following the government order, that is government servant. Anyone can say, "I am government servant." No. How you can be? Similarly, guru means who is following the principles given by the jagad-guru. The... He's guru.

So the principle... What is that principle? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is principle. "You give up all these nonsense activities. Simply surrender." So one who has surrendered to Krsna fully, no other business, he is guru. This is the definition of guru. There is no difficult to understand who is guru. One who follows strictly the principles laid down by jagad-guru, he is guru. So the jagad-guru says... Because we have to learn everything, especially spiritual subject matter, from guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This is the injunction of the Vedas. If you want to understand Brahman... Athato brahma jijnasa. This life, human life, is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth: athato brahma jijnasa. This is not meant for any other purpose. This life, any life... There is no question of inquiring about "Where shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? Where shall I have sex? How shall I be saved from fear?" There is no such question. This is already arranged. These things are already arranged even for the birds and beasts. They are also living. They are also eating. They are also sleeping. They are also having sex life. They also defend them from danger. So by nature the arrangement is already there. So only thing is, difference, that in other life... There are 8,400,000... So eighty-million, 8,000,000 lives, they do not know except these things. And out of the four millions, eight million, four..., 400,000 human species, so mostly they are like animals. So unless one comes to the Vedic civilization, he's not human being. He's not human being.

So when one comes to the Vedic principle, then the question is athato brahma jijnasa. Vedanta-sutra says, "Now you have come to the real platform. You inquire about Brahman." Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh [SB 11.3.21]. When one is inquisitive to inquire about the higher level questions, brahma-jijnasa, then he requires a guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta: "You are now inquisitive about understanding higher level knowledge, so you must go to a guru." Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Who? Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Uttamam. Uttamam means this which is above this darkness. This whole world is darkness. So one who wants to go above darkness... Tamasi ma jyotir gama. The Vedic injunction is: "Don't keep yourself in darkness. Go to the light." That light is Brahman, brahma-jijnasa.

So one who is inquisitive... The uttama... Udgata-tama yasmat. Udgata-tama. Tama means ignorance. So in the spiritual world, there is no ignorance. Jnana. The Mayavadi philosophers, they simply say, jnana, jnanavan. But jnana is not stereotyped. There is varieties of jnana. Just like in Vrndavana, there is jnana, but there is varieties. Somebody wants to love Krsna as servant. Somebody wants to love Krsna as friend. Somebody wants to appreciate Krsna's opulence. Somebody wants to love Krsna as father and mother. Somebody wants to love Krsna as conjugal lover, as paramour -- never mind. So somebody wants to love Krsna as enemy, just like Kamsa. That is also vrndavana-lila. He is always thinking of Krsna in a different way, how to kill Krsna. Putana, she also apparently came as lover of Krsna, to offer her breast for sucking; but the internal desire was how to kill Krsna. But that is also taken indirect love, indirect love. Anvayat.

So Krsna is jagad-guru. He is the original teacher. That teacher is teaching personally in the Bhagavad-gita, and we rascals, we do not take the lesson. Just see. Therefore we are mudhas. Anyone who is unfit to take the lessons given by the jagad-guru, he is mudha. Therefore our test tube is: if one does not know Krsna, if one does not know how to follow Bhagavad-gita, we immediately take him as a rascal. That's all. Never mind he... He may be prime minister, he may be high court judge, or... No. "No, he is prime minister. He is high court judge. Still, mudhah?" Yes. "How?" Mayayapahrta-jnanah: "He has no knowledge of Krsna. He is covered by maya." Mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah. Therefore he's mudha. So straightly preach. Of course, you may say all these things in soft language just to, not to make any agitation, but anyone who does not accept Krsna as the jagad-guru and does not take His lessons, he is a rascal. Just like this mudha in Jagannatha Puri. He says that "You take next birth. Then you can..." That mudha, take him as rascal. Why? He is jagad-guru; he also says, "I am jagad-guru." But he is not jagad-guru. He has not even seen what is jagat. He is a frog. And he is claiming jagad-guru. So he's mudha. Krsna says. He is mudha because he has not taken the lessons given by Krsna.

Krsna personally says, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni... Those who are born in the family of mlecchas, yavanas, or the svapacas, they are called papa-yoni. But Krsna says, "Even they, the born in the papa-yoni..." Yatha bijam yatha, yatha bijam yatha yoni. The father is the bijam. He gives the semina, and mother is the source of birth. So combination of father, mother... So papa-yoni. Therefore yoni. Yoni means source of birth. So Krsna says papa-yonayah, plural number, yonayah. Yoni, this word, sabda, so the plural number, yonayah... There are many different types... That is also mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. What are that? Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah ye 'nye ca papah. These are mentioned, papa-yoni. And less than them, if there are still papa-yoni, sudhyanti yad-apasrayasrayah, if such persons take shelter of a pure devotee, he's sudhyanti. This is the shastric injunction. He becomes purified because the pure devotee knows how to purify the papa-yoni. He knows. That rascal is not a pure devotee. He does not know. Therefore he thinks, "Unless the birth is changed, how one can be purified?" He does not know the process.

Therefore sastra says that the Mayavadis, rascals, they should not become guru because they do not know how to purify the disciple. The Mayavadi rascals, they do not know. They think after changing this body, one becomes purified. No. Therefore sastra says that sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A person, vipra, brahmana, he is expert in six kinds of brahminical business, sat-karma. Sat means six, and karma means activities. Sat-karma-nipuno viprah. Nipuna. Nipuna, very expert. He knows all the brahminical activities. What is that? Pathana-pathana yajana-yajana dana-pratigraha. He knows, he is educated. Brahmana means pandita. He's personally educated, and he educates others. That is brahmana. Brahmana does not keep himself educated. That education, that means he is brahmana, he makes others also brahmana. That is brahmana, not that "I remain brahmana. I remain Vaisnava, and others may suffer." No. Pathana-pathana. He must educate others. That is the business of brahmana. Para-duhkha-duhkhi. That is Vaisnava. Vaisnava means who is unhappy by seeing other's unhappy.

Just like Prahlada Maharaja, soce tato vimukha-cetasa maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan: [SB 7.9.43] "My Lord, so far I am concerned, I have no problem." Naivod..., udvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyah. "This vaitaranya, this ocean of nescience..." What is explained here as punar bhava, this is nescience ocean, again and again, swimming. If you perpetually remain in the ocean, and if you have to perpetually struggle for swimming, because in the ocean you have no shelter... Land is your place, but if you are placed in the ocean, however expert... You may be very expert swimmer, but that does not mean that you are happy. You can go on struggling, swimming, very expert swimming, but that does not mean happiness. Similarly, here, in the ocean of nescience, all these rascals are swimming. They are making plans to become happy, but they are not happy. That's a fact. They can try to become happy. That is natural. Everyone unhappy, he wants to become happy. That is called struggle for existence. But they do not know except this. The Darwin's theory, because he's a rascal, he thinks that the struggle is the only business. His only observation is that the struggle is the only business: "Survival of the fittest." But he does not know how to become fit. He does not know. That is mentioned here, apunar bhava-darsanam. That is fitness, no more struggling, struggling stopped. So that process is not known.

So this is the lack of knowledge at the present moment. We do not take instruction from the jagad-guru, Krsna, and still, we are M.A., Ph.D., "Doctor Frog." So this will not help. This will not help. He must know that this maya... Just like a police. Police business is to give trouble to the criminal so that he can understand that "Government is most powerful. I cannot violate the rules and regulations of the government." This is police business. If you follow, if you obey the government's rules and regulations, then police has nothing to do with you. Police may be. Police department may be. Similarly, mam eva ye prapadyante, if you surrender to Krsna, mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14], this maya has nothing to do with you. There may be maya, hundreds of maya, thousands of maya. That doesn't mean that maya will bother you.

Therefore one who is Krsna conscious, advanced in Krsna conscious, he is not bothered with sex life. That is the prime factor of disturbing. So,

yad-avadhi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhamany udyatam rantum asit
tad-avadhi bata nari-sangame smaryamane
bhavati mukha-vikarah susthu nisthivanam ca

The Yamunacarya said that "Since I have dedicated my life to Krsna and I am getting more and more happiness by serving Him, since then, whenever I think of sex life, oh, I spite." So because maya cannot touch him. This is the test. Yad-avadhi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde. You haven't got to ask anybody, "Whether I am advanced in Krsna consciousness? Will you give me certificate?" You can have your certificate by yourself, whether you have no more any desire for sex life. That's all, not that he has become impotent. If required, he can give birth to hundreds of children, but he does not like it. That is. That is the certificate. And so long we'll have any such material desire, then Krsna is so kind -- He will give you chance to take birth again.

Therefore the aim should be... Real happiness is apunar bhava-darsanam. Apunar bhava. This is going on. The jagad-guru is teaching, na jayate mriyate va. It requires little intelligence, that "Krsna, the jagad-guru, is teaching that living entity is never born and never dies. So why I am taking birth and I am dying?" This much intelligence they haven't got... Because they do not take the instruction of the jagad-guru... He is describing, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. Kadacit, at any time. Not that in the past he was dying. Krsna says again in the Second Chapter that "All these soldiers and kings who have assembled there, so also you and Me, we existed in the past, we are existing now, and we shall continue to exist in the future." Therefore kadacit. Kadacit means "at any time." "Any time" means past, present and future. Time has got three factors. So at any time. Kadacit means at any time the living entity is never born, never dies. The... If this is the fact, why you do not think, "Then why I am dying? I must have to die. Death is as sure as anything."

So they have no even sense. They are so animalistic. Just like animal. He does not know that death can be avoided. So the animal civilization. This very question... In the Bhagavad-gita, jagad-guru is teaching that try to understand this fact first of all. This is beginning of Bhagavad-gita, tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. So there is no death, but you change your body just like you change your garment, you change your shirt and coat. Similarly, you change your body, but the thing is that this changing of body is not very happy task. Tomorrow... Today I am American, very happy, but tomorrow, if I change my body -- I become a dog or even cow in America, I'll be sent to slaughterhouse. So changing of body is very risky. You Americans, human being, or Indian human being, anyway, you have got protection. But as soon as you change your body, American cow, then you are for slaughterhouse. Is it not a fact?

So change of body is very risky. Therefore Kunti says, apunar bhava-darsanam: "Krsna, by seeing You I can stop this again and again birth and death. Therefore let all the dangers remain so that we always seek to see You, because we have no other shelter. Whenever we are in danger, we simply ask Your favor. That is our business." So Krsna was taking farewell from Kunti to go back to Dvaraka. So that was the lamentation of Kunti, that "Krsna, You did so much for us. You saved us so many, from so many dangers. Now, because we are situated in our position -- we have got the throne, we have got the kingdom -- but You are going away? No, no, no, I don't want." Vipadah santu. "Let us remain in danger always. Don't go. Please don't go. I prefer to remain in vipada." This is Kunti's prayer. "I prefer because... Let there be all kinds of dangers in this life, but I, if, when I see You again and again, I advance. I advance in what?" Apunar bhava-darsanam: "That I'll not have to take birth again. So let there be dangers always so that I can see You again and again so that this business of taking birth and death again and again be finished."

Just like you have got a dangerous boil. You are applying so many medicines, but it is not curable. The doctor says, "You have to go, surgical operation. So that will be very troublesome, vipada. But a intelligent person will say, "Yes, you do it so that this trouble may be finished." So Kunti wants that "Again and again, all these dangers may be repeated so that we can think of You, we can see You, so that no more this life of repetition..." But these people, they do not know. This is the real unhappiness. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. This rascal civilization, they do not know. They are taking risk of again and again taking birth.

nunam pramattah kurute vikarma
yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti
na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam
asann api klesada asa dehah
[SB 5.5.4]

So long you'll get this material body, you have to suffer. It is meant for suffering. As soon as you get this material body, this body or that body, you have to suffer tri-tapa. So people do not know... (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974

"Deity Worship--Not Idol Worship"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.47-48
Vrndavana, October 5, 1976

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Pradyumna: "He (Dronacarya) is certainly still existing, being represented by his son. His wife Krpi did not undergo a sati with him because she had a son. O most fortunate one who knows the principles of religion, it is not good for you to cause grief to glorious family members who are always respectable and worshipful."

Prabhupada:

sa esa bhagavan dronah
praja-rupena vartate
tasyatmano 'rdham patny aste
nanvagad virasuh krpi

tad dharmajna maha-bhaga
bhavadbhir gauravam kulam
vrjinam narhati praptum
pujyam vandyam abhiksnasah

So, in continuation of the Pandavas' position in relationship with Dronacarya, the guru, so many things are being explained by Draupadi. So she is not ordinary woman. She knows everything of the religious principles, and therefore she is teaching the assembly of respectable, learned persons how the spiritual master should be respected. Drona is also, I mean to say, qualified as bhagavan. Bhagavan Drona. Anyone who is extraordinarily powerful, he is addressed sometimes as bhagavan. Narada Muni is also sometimes addressed as bhagavan. Lord Siva is also sometimes addressed as bhagavan. We have explained the different features of bhagavan many times. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah. So the Supreme Bhagavan is Krsna. Nanyat paratara... Mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. There may be so many bhagavans, but the absolute bhagavan is Krsna. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Not samagra, but the Supreme Personality, He is samagra. The others, they have got to certain extent the qualities of bhagavan. In that sense they can be addressed as bhagavan. But they are not samagra. Samagra is, samagra means the complete. That is only attributed to Krsna. Nobody else.

Sa esa bhagavan dronah praja-rupena vartate. Praja means offspring, son, daughter also. Prajayate. One who is born of the father. Without father, there is no possibility, son or daughter. Therefore prajayate. One who gives birth. And the praja... Praja is the product of the body of the father. A son or daughter, they may be different persons, but they belong to the body of the father. Yatha yoni yatha bijam. Father is the bijam. Just like bijam, the seed. The seed is the tree later on. Similarly, the bijam, the seed, is put by the father in the womb of the mother, and as the seed implanted in the earth and taken care of with watering, sprinkling, it grows to a big tree, similarly, the seed is sown in the womb of the mother, and the mother takes care of the seed, and it comes to a big body later on and comes out. This is the process of birth. So in one sense, between the seed and the tree there is no difference. Similarly, the seed of the father and the father, there is no difference. Here it is, praja-rupena vartate.

So according to Vedic culture, if one woman has got son, she is not considered to be widow. Widow means one who hasn't got husband or husband is dead. So if the husband's representative is there, so, strictly speaking, she is not widow. So praja-rupena vartate. Again the wife is considered ardhangini. I think in English also it is said, "better half." Wife is considered half the body. The left hand side half... Perhaps you have seen the picture that Krsna and Radharani, one body. The left-hand side is Radharani, right-hand side is Krsna. Srila Jiva Gosvami has explained this, radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad ekatmanav api [Cc. Adi 1.5]. Radha and Krsna, They are one, but for pastimes they have become two. Ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau. Again Radha-Krsna united, caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam. So these things are there. So wife is considered better half. Ardhangini. So the ardhangini is there, and the son is there. In so many ways they are convincing that "Do not think that Dronacarya is dead and gone." He's (She's) convincing this point. "Dronacarya is still existing. So killing the son of Dronacarya means killing Dronacarya. So do not do this." He's (She's) putting so many arguments.

Then, tad dharmajna maha-bhaga bhavadbhir gauravam kulam. One should act in such a way that it should be glorified in the family. The family consideration is very important in Vedic culture. A family does not mean that only a husband, wife, or a few children. No. Family means the generation. That is Vedic conception. So if something is wrong done by any member of the family, that becomes a scar to the whole family. So she is, from family-wise, she is warning that "Do not do anything which will be a discredit to the whole Pandava family." Vrjinam narhati praptum pujyam vandyam abhiksnasah. So the guru and the guru's family, they do not require to be chastised or punished. It has been misused in so many ways. In Bengal... Just like they say nityananda-vamsa. Coming from Nityananda. So Nityananda had one son, Virabhadra. But Virabhadra did not marry. So there is no dynasty by semina. By nityananda-vamsa means by disciplic succession. So sometimes extra advantage was taken as nityananda-vamsa. But people have got respect for such thing, dynasty. So not only it is now, from time immemorial, guru, guru's dynasty... Even in Mohammedan religion there is such sentiment, Mohammed and his dynasty, Hussain, they are taken very respectfully. So considering all points, the guru's respect must be maintained. This is the sum and substance of the instruction. But there is other opposite instruction also.

If the guru is not in his proper way according to sastra... Guru means he must be abiding by the rules and regulation of the sastra. Sadhu-guru-sastra. Sadhu means one who is obeying the rules and regulation of sastra. Sastra must be the medium. Without sastra nothing is acceptable. That is spoken by Krsna. Tasmad sastra-vidhanoktah. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah. So nobody can transgress the rules and regulation of sastra, and what to speak of a guru. Guru is acarya. Acinoti yah sastrani. One who knows the rules and regulation of the sastra and he teaches his disciple according to the sastra, he is called acarya. So acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. Acarya should be respected, as Krsna says, as good as Krsna. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also said, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih **. Acarya, guru, is as good as God. Saksad-dharitvena. Acarya should be respected as Krsna. Therefore acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. If somebody foolishly thinks that "They are worshiping a man. He's like me, and he has taken the seat, and he's taking worship, respect, from disciples." Sometimes they question like that. But they do not know that how acarya should be respected. Acarya should be respected saksad-dharitvena, just like God. It is not exaggeration. It is according to the sastra. And acarya also accepts all these respectful obeisances to carry to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the process. As we receive knowledge from the acarya, similarly, our activities, the result of activities, is carried by the acarya to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Acarya does not accept anything on his own account. Acarya accepts everything on Krsna's account. That is the principle. And because he is representative of Krsna, he is dealing on behalf of Krsna.

We have got in practical experience. Formerly, in British government, there was viceroy. Vice means in place of and roy means royal king. Viceroy. So this viceroy was respected as the king, as the emperor. That is the process. When he's no longer a viceroy, then he's not respected. But so long he is acting as viceroy... And the rule was that whatever presentation was given to the viceroy he did not accept it personally. It was kept in the state. So these are the process. So guru, acarya, being representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should be worshiped. Navamanyeta... Na martya-buddhyasuyeta. Never think of envying. As soon as we become envious of the acarya, there is falldown, immediately. Yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. This is the teaching of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. He's also acarya. Acarya-parampara.

So, navamanyeta karhicit martya-buddhya. Acarya should not be considered as ordinary human being. Vaisnave jati-buddhir gurusu nara-matih, arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matih. These are the injunction. Naraki. Everyone knows that here is vigraha, Gaura-Nitai vigraha, Krsna-Balarama vigraha, Radha-Krsna vigraha. Everyone knows that it was, these vigrahas were ordered from Jaipur and it is now installed. But why people are coming in thousands to see the vigraha? They do not know that it is made of stone? Everyone knows. Maybe one or two may be coming, sentiment. In every temple... Just like Jagannatha Puri everyone knows that Jagannatha is made of wood. Then why lakhs of people are going there to see? Similarly, Balaji. Everyone knows He's made of stone. But thousands of people are going to see. So this is the system. This is not artificial. This is the system. One... As the vigraha... Vigraha means the form of the Lord. There are eight kinds of the forms of the Lord. They are made of stone, they are made of wood, they are made of jewels, and sometimes they are made of painting, and metal. So many. There are eight. All these vigrahas are to be worshiped. That is mentioned in the sastras. Painting also. If there is painting or even if you think of the form of the Lord within the mind, that is also vigraha. Just like dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. The yogis, they think of Visnu form within the core of the heart. That is also vigraha. Don't think that is imagination. That is also vigraha. So there are eight kinds of vigrahas, and each and every one of them are as good as the other. Similarly, vigraha of guru is also... Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. This is the injunction of the sastra. And... "May be in the sastra, but it is not carried." No, it is carried. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah **, it is said, tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih. Those who are aware of the sastras...

Just like we have installed the Deity according to sastra. There is nothing imaginary. It is not idol worship. Idol worship is different. Just like in the Western countries they put an idol on the street, on the park, as the resting place of the crows and passing stool on the head. That is idol worship. The so-called statues are installed and without any protection... No. Our worship is not idol worship. This is Deity worship. We construct temple and spend lakhs of rupees to install the Deity. It is not idol worship. Idol worship is different. Therefore it is warned, arcye visnau sila-dhih. If somebody thinks that the vigraha is idol worship... There are so many rascals, they think like that. They are... "Why you are worshiping in the temple?" Amongst the Indians also, the Arya-samajis, they protest against temple worship. But who cares for them? Here in Vrndavana, there is Arya-samaji temple. Nobody goes there. But this is a new temple recently started, and thousands of people are coming. Why? All of them are fools and rascals? This is exactly according to the sastra.

And the argument that God is everywhere, why you should go to the temple? And what is this nonsense? If God is everywhere, why not in the temple? But this is their argument, nonsense argument. God is everywhere, but not in the temple. This is their argument. So we do not care. Nobody cares. So many agitators came and gone, but the Vedic process will go on. Let the dogs bark, the caravan will pass. There is no difficulty. So on the whole, this is Vedic civilization, that the vigraha of the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepted as He is present. We should take it that Krsna... Actually, this is the fact. As you have read in the Caitanya-caritamrta, there was the Saksi-Gopala history, and the two brahmanas, they promised before the Deity, and later on there was misunderstanding, and the Deity from Vrndavana went to bear witness in Orissa more than thousands of miles away. And that Saksi-Gopala, witness Gopala -- Saksi means witness -- is still being worshiped in Jagannatha Puri, near. There is a station, Saksi-Gopala.

So as the Deity of the Lord, vigraha, should not be considered as made of stone, wood, similarly, guru also should not be accepted as ordinary human being. He should be given all respect as we give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is being explained by even one woman. That is Vedic culture. Draupadi is explaining the importance, and she has said, sa esa bhagavan dronah. She's quite right when she's accepting Drona as bhagavan. Sa esa bhagavan dronah praja-rupena vartate. And he is present by his praja. So these things should be taken very seriously instruction. Therefore srimad-bhagavatam amalam puranam. This is pramana. Pramani-grantha. Pramani-grantha means sabda-pramana. Sabda-pramana, anumana pramana, and anumana... Just like a sound is going on. One who knows, that's all right. But we can... Hypothesis. We can think that some machine is running on. We may not know what is that machine. So this is anumana. I'm not seeing the machine, what kind of machine is running, but I can think of, imagine that it may be some machine is running on. That is also another pramana. Hypothesis, inductive, deductive. They are also... Analogy. There are so many processes. So here, Krsna and guru, they should be accepted on the same level. Therefore Draupadi has addressed Dronacarya as bhagavan. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih **. It is accepted. We should also accept. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.45-46 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1976